witham



R. W. WITHAM. Boots and Shoes.

No. 225,451. Patented Mar. 9, I880.

UNITED STATES PATENT ROBERT W. WITHAM, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN MUNDELL & (30., OF SAME PLACE.

BOOT AND SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 225,451, dated March 9, 1880.

Application filed December 27, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

, Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Boots and Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

My, invention relates to improvements-in leather toe-protectors or tips for boots and shoes, but more especially designed for childrens shoes to protect the toe part of the vamp from being worn out; and the objects of my said improvements are to protect and cover the upper edge of the toe-protector and the stitching which unites said protector across the vamp, and thereby prevent the ripping of the protector from the vamp, the entrance of water and dirt at this junction, and giving it a neat hem-like finish, shielding both edge and stitching from outside wear.

The junction of such protector and vamp has hitherto been made so as to expose the upper thin edge of the protector and the stitching by which it is united to the vamp, causing the protector to break and curl up along the edge and the stitching to rip from rotting and to open up from the vamp, letting in water and dirt from the vamp down around the toe part and injuring the appearance of the shoe.

These objections are avoided by my improve- .ments, which embrace a tip and vamp united by stitching concealed by folding the leather on itself at the junction of the parts across the vamp from side to side, said folded edge being also turned under with the vamp upon the sole, rendering more substantial and desirable the toe-protected shoes now so generally in use'for children, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

Referring'to the accompanying drawings,

. Figure 1 represents a vamp with a tip or toeprotector placed thereon with its outer side under, and united thereto alongits upper edge and from its inner or undressed side; Fig. 2, a cross-section thereof 5 Fig. 3, the vamp with the tip or toe-protector turned down flatwise over and covering the stitched edge and again united to the vamp below said turned-in edge; Fig. 4, a cross-section thereof; Fig. 5, a sectional view, showing the tip as applied; and

Fig. 6, a shoe with my improved vamp toeprotector.

The tip a is preferably of sole-leather, cut in blank, of semicircular form, and skived on its inner side around its edges, so that they may more easily be turned under in uniting it with the vamp f and the soles g g. The skived tip, in blank, is placed with its inner side uppermost, and with its upper thin edge, I), nearest the toe part at the proper point over and upon the vamp, to which it is united crosswise by stitching 0 along the edge of the tip or toe-protector, which is then turned down to its proper place over the toe part of the vamp, making afold over the stitched edge, and covering, concealing, and protecting its line of stitching, and forming thereby a folded or' any ripping of the stitches across the vamp,

holding the vamp to the full set of the tip, and leaving a surface edge that cannot be opened or split from ordinary rough usage. In this way the tip or toe-protector not only has a hem-formed upper edge, but serves to conceal the hemmed part by which it is sewed to the vamp. A second line or lines of stitching, (1, from the outside of the tip, in the usual way, unites the tip to the vamp below the turned-in fold and gives a better support to the vamp and a neater appearance, but the interior stitched edge is the main line of union for the tip and vamp, the second outside line being re-enforcing only, and, so far as the main feature of my invention is concerned, may be dispensed with, but I prefer such re-enforcing outside line of stitching as giving the best results.

The tip or toe-protector is made sufficiently full to extend below the rounded toe part-of with the vamp and the lining, giving a full and firm set to the toe part of the shoe with the thickest portion of the tip at the point subjected to the greatest wear. After the tip is united to the vamp, as described, and the vamp to the quarters, the shoe is then ready for lasting, and the tip may be dressed, blackened, and burnished after the sole is united to the upper or before the tip is applied to the vamp; but I prefer to do this after the shoe is soled. It can be used on any kind of shoe and work, and I prefer to use oak-tanned or harness leather for the tip.

A line of punctures, 0, may be made in the tip below its turned-in edge and between it and the re-enforcing outside line of stitching, but this is only for greater neatness in appearance.

The skiving of the tip or toe-protector to a comparatively thin edge allows it to be easily turned over the stitched part, and when burnished leaves a smooth and even surface. This method of uniting the tip gives a folded-in edge all round, instead of at the sole only, as heretofore.

It is obvious that the under-folded straight edge of the toe-protector may be united to the upper by more than one row of concealed stitches, if found desirable, and that boots as well as shoes may be tipped in this manner.

Leather tips have heretofore been united across the vamp by a double line of outside stitching; but this is liable to rip and the tip to open at its upper edge, so that Water and dirt-Will pass in, rendering the shoe uncomfortable and rotting out the toe of the vamp; and to avoid this and protect the stitching from wear the upper surface of the tip has been provided with channels to receive the stitches which unite it with the upper and sink them below the surface. This channel is not only very unsightly in appearance, but the stitches are liable to pull through on account of the channel being frequently out too deep. In addition to this, when the shoe is worn a short time the leather becomes dry and the channel opens up, retaining any water 1. In a boot or shoe, a vamp and toe-protector united by'stitching, covered and shielded from wear by folding the leather on itself at the j unctiou of the tip across the vamp an d from side to side, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. A shoe-toe protector united to the vamp and at its junction having a double thickness, and within such double thickness concealing a row of stitching by which said parts are united, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. Atoe-protectorforboots and shoes, united to the vamp by the shielded and covered seam, substantially as described, and the secondary or re-enforcing stitching 01 across the vamp, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

4. A boot or shoe provided with a toe-protector or tip united'to the vamp by stitching, covered and protected from outside wear by the under-turned protector, substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

Witnesses Tnno. D. RAND, J H. WILSON. 

